GUYS AND DOLLS to Begin Previews April 12 at Shaw Festival

A new production of the Tony Award-winning musical Guys and Dolls begins previews April 12 at the Shaw's Festival Theatre. Like its musical predecessors My Fair Lady and Ragtime, the Shaw's production of Guys and Dolls celebrates glorious storytelling, unforgettable characters and memorable music. Directed by Tadeusz Bradecki and brought to life by The Shaw's renowned acting Ensemble, the "greatest of all American musicals" pulsates with the neon-lit rhythm, energy and grittiness of New York City nightlife.

In New York City, you'll meet wise guys and chorus girls, gamblers, cops and bobby-soxers. Nathan Detroit (Shawn Wright) feels the pressure -not only does he need $1000 to save the city's oldest floating craps game, but his doll Miss Adelaide (Jenny L. Wright) is putting the squeeze on him to go legit and tie the knot. Enter Sky Masterson (Kyle Blair), an Old Acquaintance and high-rolling gambler, who takes Nathan's crazy bet - to woo the pious Sarah Brown (Elodie Gillett), a sergeant at the Save-A-Soul mission! Who will take a real gamble on love? Will luck be a lady tonight?

The Shaw Festival's production of Guys and Dolls reunites much of the team from the wildly successful 2003 and 2005 production of the musical Happy End: director Tadeusz Bradecki, set designer Peter Hartwell and musical director Paul Sportelli. This time around, they are joined by choreographer Parker Esse, who recently choreographed Molly Smith's celebrated production of Oklahoma! at Arena Stage, for which he won a Helen Hayes award for Best Choreography; designer Sue LePage (costumes), lighting designer Kevin Lamotte and sound designer John Lott.
Full of musical standards including Luck Be a Lady, Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat and A Bushel and a Peck; Guys and Dolls premiered on Broadway in 1950, ran for 1,200 performances and won five Tony Awards including Best Musical. It also received international attention thanks to the 1955 MGM motion picture adaptation featuring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra.

Based on the short stories of humorist Damon Runyon, Blood Pressure and The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, Guys and Dolls pays tribute to his quirky and innovative use of language - a bouncy New York brogue that mixes slang with formal language.

Guys and Dolls runs April 12 - October 12, with the opening set for May 11. Guys and Dolls will be on stage at the Festival Theatre (10 Queen's Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake).

The Shaw Festival's 2013 season began April 3, runs until October 27 and features 10 productions presented on the Festival's four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages. For more information on our 2013 season, performance schedule and ticket information, visit www.shawfest.com or call 1-800-511-SHAW.